«6 



THE COLOGIST. 



our cDlored m:iu calls him, dashed 

 against the wire screening with which 

 the cage is covered. 



SxEWAiiT E. White, 



Kent Co., Mich. 



The Evening Grosbeak. 



With an ornithological experience in 

 the vicinity of Detroit covering the last 

 tive jcais, I have met with this species 

 only in the months of March and April, 

 188y. My first tiock was seen on March 

 third. 1 was in the woods looking up 

 old Hawks' nests, when my attention 

 v/as directed to a small grove of beech 

 and live oak by having what I at first 

 took to be a number of Bhieliirds 

 assembled together and warbling as 

 House Sparrows sometimes do towards 

 evening, but upon a nearer approach, 

 the sounds made resembled the cries of 

 wood frogs and it is doubtless from this 

 I'Uise resembhiuce the l)irds derived 

 their name. This tiock contained at 

 least 200 individuals. The}- were about 

 evenly distrilnited in the trees arid on 

 the ground, consorting in little assem- 

 blies and, while hopping about in search 

 of beech nnts on which the extensively 

 fed, they reminded me ot very large, 

 liansomely colored House Sparrows. 

 I peneti'ated into the middle of the 

 flock, but they continued feeding with- 

 out diplajing the least alarm, in fact 

 appeared almost inditiferent to iny pres- 

 ence. At times, without any cause for 

 alarm, one woidd give a sharp chirp 

 and the little party would rise with a 

 loud buzz of wings to the branches 

 overhead where a general wiping of 

 bills and pluming of feathers took place 

 and the spot just left was immediately 

 taken up by another detachment from 

 the trees. 



One of the most characteristic fea- 

 tures of this species is the large, thick, 

 greenish-j'ellow bill. 



Abont thi-eejfonrths of their entire 

 number were females. The female 



differs greatly from the male in color 

 and were it not for the distinguishing 

 beak, might be mistaken for a differ- 

 ent species. A male and female Ijefore 

 me, taken on above date, measure 8 and 

 7f inches respectively. The head of the 

 male is blacd^iish-brown, bounded by a 

 broad band of Ijright yellow across the 

 forehead and a streak of the same color 

 I passes over the eye. The nape of the 

 neck and throat are dark yellowisli 

 olive, gradually brightening until on 

 the rnmp, abdomen and lower tail 

 co\'erts it becomes bright yellow. The 

 female differs by lacking the yellow 

 band on tlie forehead and streak over 

 the eje, also the large patcli of white 

 on the wings. The head is dark brown- 

 ish and the nape of the neck and back, 

 brownish, shading into greyish yellow 

 on the rump. Throat greyish-brown 

 bcH'dered on either side l)y a band of 

 black. Breast, yellowish-grey, brown 

 and abdomen and lower tail coverts, 

 white. 



This fiock was visited eveiy Sunday 

 ))y several lioys witli shotguns andriflts 

 and the report of lire-arms could be 

 lieard throughout the day. As may be 

 supposed, this weekly persecution 

 thinned their numbers greatly and those 

 that were left, ))y the middle of April, 

 were exceedingly wild and wary and 

 could be approached within gunshot 

 range only with the greatest caution. 



I saw my last specimen April 25th, 

 but in the following mouth, three adult 

 males were brcjught me by a friend who 

 claimed to ha^*e secured them May 12th. 



The last bird of this species, to my 

 knowledge, ol)served in this locality, 

 was an adult male seen by B. Swales on 

 November 16th, inside the city limits. 



Let us hear from others on the habits 

 of this bird. 



J. Claire Wood, 



Detroit, Mich. 



